Hybrid Motorcycles Are Here! We Ride The Kawasaki Ninja 7

Kawasaki has released the first production hybrid motorcycle in the world. It's called the Ninja 7 Hybrid, and no, it rides nothing like a Prius. With more and more places around the world getting tougher and tougher on emissions, some areas are making it difficult to ride a gas-powered vehicle into their borders. The Ninja 7 Hybrid is a clever loophole around that, as you can ride in full electric mode which, as Road Test Editor Troy Siahaan found out, is kinda nice sometimes when riding in congested cities. Watch the video to learn what the riding experience is like overall. And let us know if you want a more detailed tech video.

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[Ian-djnj]

You have to hand to Kawasaki, they embrace engineering. Like the supercharger, they are not afraid of bringing new technologies to the market. I applaud this and am excited to see how new tech evolves.

[nathancooley]

This bike looks seriously awesome for anyone riding in and around major cities. Which, statistically, would be most people. I often find myself wishing I had a quieter and more efficient bike for cruising through neighborhoods and surface streets. Then to be able to really open it up on highways and twisties sounds like the best of both worlds. I can’t justify a second bike, especially at that price, but this is really exciting tech.

[kwaitefuni]

I appreciate how Kawasaki is always bringing something new.
I don't know if the Hybrid/EV models will be popular, but at least they're giving it a shot!

[lakwatserongkuripot]

not gonna lie.that is one aesthetically gorgeous looking bike.

[pleasedontwatchthese]

I think a good part of this bike is being automatic. There's kinda basically no or not many automatic sport bikes. This is good for people who may have a hard time working a clutch or shifter due to injuries

[ronniesakchaisitkul]

I love the idea of electric but personally I really enjoy the clutch and shifting manually.

[PetrolJunkie]

I think a communter would consider a hybrid motorcycle. The reason being is that when you're in slow traffic where you are wasting fuel this can run on battery. That could dramatically increase your fuel milage / range. Maybe you have some nice twisty roads nearby. That seems like the best fit for this bike.

[tmcclennen]

I owned a Concourse C14 before Covid. I'm not a sport rider, I'm a touring rider who likes an S/T configuration (that is: I like a bike that is a little narrower and lighter than a full-dress touring bike). I am REALLY excited for a hybrid bike. When I'm planning a trip that is between 300 miles and 1, 000 miles, fuel efficiency starts to make a bigger difference.

[amitsurve]

Maybe they will make hybrid adventure touring motorcycles in the future especially for folks who like to camp a lot and provide accesories supported/connected to the electric motor but that seems afar away for now.

[imprezars]

i would love to see a second video, going over performance.... 0-60, 1/4 mile ect...

[K-A]

If you want beautiful bikes, visit Ducati. If you want technological forward bikes, visit Kawasaki

[dainjahrus]

Biggest issue with EV motorcycles are the range and cost. This seems to give a good answer to both. I live in a city and would love to be able to go any/everywhere on that EV mode and then take that same bike up to the canyons or on a road trip where the infrastructure just isnt available for us.

Cost is going to be the big question, EV bikes are still waaaay to expensive for me and most people, if this is only a grand or 2 more than its gas equivalent then im interested!

[damoncatacalos]

my 2012 V Strom 650 gives me 50+ mpg in mostly city riding. On a ride from DC to Atlantic City, NJ this summer it gave me 62 mpg (and I was not riding like a granny either, but I wasn't cracking the ton either). I would need much better mileage that Troy's "50 to 56 mpg", even tho he was dogging it. I'd want 70 mpg at least outta this bike. My 2022 Honda Accord hybrid gives us on average 49 mpg in all sorts of driving.

[Kingsoupturbo]

Makes sense in Asia\Europe where electric scooters and motorcycles are already really common, you get your electric in the city, many who are starting to have congestion charges and restrictions (and pollution problems to be fair) and then you can rip it when you get out, with no real range restrictions.

[AbnormalWrench]

As an owner of a Zero motorcycle, I do like to see companies putting new innovative technology on the market, but I too find it hard to figure out who is going to buy this. As a commuter, there are more gas efficient bikes for way less money. For the tree hugger, you can just go EV. I love the idea of a hybrid motorcycle, but I'm not sure this is the best way of doing it.

[St.FighterZ]

56 mpg!? I can do that and better on my z400 even "hooning" around as you put it. Its 150lbs more and like 12k dollars. Am i missing something here because none of this makes sense. And you used technology and simplicity in the same sentence. This is anything but that.

[joshuahaewardii]

absolutely a followup detailed video please!

[brianrizzo]

i want one i love my nc750x dct i like automatic i have manual too but i fine myself using them more

[HustlingEryDay]

Could be a good commute bike. The NC750 is still a better option for commuter due to the storage and better mpg.

[DougJessee]

Wish they had started at the 1700 Vaquero line, maybe a 800/900 cc engine with an electric motor and batteries. I would also have the engine just create electricity and use that to drive the electric motor.
That frees up having to mount the gas engine to line with a belt/chain/shaft drive.
This should allow for a much more efficient packaging of the components, keeping the weight low, etc.